Interior ministers views that India, US have hand in terror not official, says Pak govt

Islamabad, Mar 5 (ANI): Pakistan government has distanced itself from the recent statement by the Caretaker Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz that United States, Afghanistan and India had a hand in terrorist activities in Pakistan.

Clarifying the federal governments stance, Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier (Retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema said that they were the ministers personal views and not the governments official policy.

“I can only say that what the interior minister said was not the governments official policy,” the Daily Times quoted Cheema as saying.

Hamid Nawaz had in recent interview to Arab TV said that the US, India and Afghanistan were involved in lawlessness in Pakistan and that generally it was believed that America and Afghanistan were backing the outfits involved in terrorism in Pakistan.

He had also said that there were reports that Indian Intelligence Agency RAW was involved in violent incidents in Pakistan. “We are sure that RAW is involved and there was no doubt in it,” he said in the TV interview.

Following the interview, the US had on Sunday expressed concern over the ministers allegations. In a statement, the American Embassy in Islamabad said that the US Ambassador NW Patterson talked to the Minister of Interior Hamid Nawaz on telephone to communicate concern over his statement. (ANI)